Iceland Awaits the Over-50 Traveler
It’s January 2015 and I’m at JFK Airport in New York City waiting for an Icelandair flight to Reykjavik. Yes, Iceland!
Why did I seek out one of the northern-most countries at the height of winter? The Aurora Borealis, that’s why. Iceland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights, electrically charged particles from the sun that are most visible in the sky in the winter.
In addition, as a Scandinavian country founded by the Vikings and their Irish slaves, the country is part of my family’s heritage. That does NOT mean that my sister, Linda, and I found the Scandinavian palate favoring pickled herring to our liking. Luckily, there’s plenty of food variety to be had in Iceland, including (cue the disdain!) American chains such as Subway, and hearty breakfasts that typically come with a hotel room.
So why Iceland, why now? Like many people, our appetite had been whetted by the Ben Stiller movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which was partially filmed in some of the more remote areas of Iceland. That movie was shot in the warmer months, featuring lava fields, mountains, volcanos, waterfalls, rolling hills and roads and other spectacular sights.
Iceland did not disappoint: …